


An Open Letter To Lauren Montgomery and Joaquim Dos Santos

by MercurialComet



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: A Letter to the Showrunners, Gen, Grievences, open letter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-16
Updated: 2018-12-16
Packaged: 2019-09-19 12:42:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17001867
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MercurialComet/pseuds/MercurialComet
Summary: What it says on the tin.





	An Open Letter To Lauren Montgomery and Joaquim Dos Santos

**Author's Note:**

> I'll begin and end this the same way: I am not attacking or threatening anyone involved in this show, nor do I want anyone to use this letter as a way to justify attacking or threatening people over this show.
> 
> If you disagree with any of my points, my twitter is @mercurialcomet. I will only take serious and mature discussions about this.

To Lauren Montgomery, Joaquim Dos Santos, and anyone else this letter may concern,

 

Why.

 

That is the only question I have to ask you, but I have to ask you it in so many ways that to repeat myself for every single fault that your show has would be redundant, annoying, and unhelpful to see the true impact of the show, beyond your toy sales and corporate boardroom view. So, in the interest of clarity and time, and with all due respect, I’ve decided to section out each of my problems into very specific parts, just so we all can understand each other and clear the air.

 

Your first set of problems are with the writing of the show: how you handle each character, arc, and end result. The pacing of the story seems off, plot points are brought up once and never resolved, and the characters either feel stagnant and dull, underused and cast off, or a horrific combination of both.

* * *

 

### Lance

Lance is one of the worst examples of this lazy writing (“worst” of course being used very lightly because honestly every example I bring up is its own shade of ugly) especially when it comes to his own introspection and how he interacts with the world. In the earlier seasons, he’s a character full of adventure, a cool-headed guy who will rush into danger to help his friends. In this last season? He’s drained. He only talks about Allura and his love for her, he settles down on a farm, and he becomes Altean through an unexplained plot point.

 

This is horrible writing. This is inconsistent writing. This is writing that would get me, a high school senior, an F on a daily assignment and a loss in my school’s yearly writing competition.

 

But before I dig too much into last season, let’s talk about how we got here, because really it’s bad, impatient, and unaware writing that dug this hole far too deep before season 8 came along and buried the hatchet. This took multiple seasons of Lance openly doubting himself, both in front of and away from the other paladins, two of which being his best friends and _NO ONE_ steps in to comfort him? No one? Not even Pidge? Hunk, the person Lance is probably most comfortable with on a consistent basis throughout the show? And Lance gets treated horribly by people not on the team in front of them too: Kuron being a prime example, as he literally only called out Lance.

 

But I guess I should’ve seen this coming when Hunk and Pidge literally made fun of Lance over a crush until he was visibly upset and then did nothing to apologize/comfort him. Just like best friends always do!

 

In the end: if no one is taking care of, or even keeping an eye on Lance when they need him to at least save the universe, what is the point of all the stuff about “the lion bonds to the paladin” or “the bond between the paladins is what helps Voltron form?” Why would Lance be anywhere near this if he’s just going to be verbally, emotionally, and at some points physically harassed and abused? Make it make sense to me and everyone else you’ve duped.

 

Oh, and I’m not bringing up that one episode that is literally just calling Lance “the dumb one”. I don’t have the patience to deal with that yet. (Speaking of patience, I lost mine waiting for Lance to use that broadsword again. Why was it important? Why wasn’t it used more often?)

 

In bringing everything back to season 8, this base of Lance’s character, this self-doubt, this wish that he could be someone else? It’s wasted potential. Literally only _one_ character says anything about Lance being good enough as is and even then he still _CHANGES HIS RACE_. Lance could’ve been that cheesy character that kids can look up to as a role model for good self-esteem and understanding yourself and what you’re good at, and this writing pays that potential dust and ashes.

 

Now, my next problem with how Lance and the world around him is written hinges entirely around season 8 and the fact that he becomes Altean. He is literally, as I said before, changing his race.

 

Eugenics aside (which I really can’t do in any capacity of confidence, but I would hope that we all know eugenics is bad), this is an obviously bad thing to do. This is a horrible writing decision and I don’t know why you did it. I know that in earlier episodes/seasons Coran has always said something about Lance not being “Altean enough”/ understanding of Altean culture, but to have him turn into an Altean (without his consent or knowledge, might I add) is gross! It’s disgusting and sends the wrong message to kids, that they should change themselves for others. It would have been better if Lance and Allura learned about each other’s cultures together, developed a bond that would have grown into a romantic relationship instead of whatever you tried to give us.

 

At least that would have been slowburn. Not some horrible trope about the guy not taking a lack of a yes for a no and wearing the girl down.

* * *

 

### Lotor

This is one of your characters I held close to my chest since day one. The moment he was announced I knew I was going to relate to him the most because he was going to raised with a lot of pressure on him to act and behave in a certain way, with his parents only looking at the results of what he could do more than at his own character. I was happy with the Lotor of season 3 to the early episodes of season 6, where Lotor was a more scholarly type of a character who still had to deal with the weight of that type of toxic environment (because remember, Zarkon made him destroy a planet he lived peacefully and respectfully on as a “lesson”).

 

Lotor would have been great had his plot actually been straight and not confusing. He’s presented as a prince who doesn’t want to continue his family’s history of destroying planets, cultures, and languages, but he has to do it in a way that keeps Zarkon and Haggar from becoming too suspicious. Think of the intrigue that would have provided for a season or two as he gets in contact with the paladins through his own means and lightly wrecks small parts of the Empire from within.

 

Lotor is a combination of the game of royal politics and the tightrope of overbearing and overburdening parents, which are the two tropes I personally love the most because of how intertwined they are. The relationship of the royal family is on everyone’s radar because opponents are looking to take over the empire at best, so Lotor ha to balance a line of rebelling against his parents and keeping the in power until he can secure the throne for himself to bring in a time of peace. This alone creates more intrigue without going into his backstory like you attempted to in season 8.

 

You knew that his relationship with them is either neglectful at best, or downright abusive at worst, which can be easily seen by his body language during The Feud (which, fun fact, is the episode that regularly made fun of Lance). He turns away from Zarkon in an uncomfortable manner, he shirks away when Zarkon gets angry and is shouting, he is visibly nervous at the thought of being near either of his parents when they are upset.

 

Lotor isn’t relatable because he’s suave and well-read, although those are bonuses to his character, he’s relatable because he’s able to think quickly and rationally to not follow down what his family wants. He doesn’t want to hurt people, he wants to protect them, he wants to respect them, he wants to learn from them.

 

For all of this to be thrown by the wayside with the Altean colony (and for his love of knowledge, something that gets used against him so everyone can immediately rationalize him as a villain) and for him to be set up for a redemption arc and not only not get one, but literally be reduced to what he most feared and killed on-screen? Bad form. The worst form and take ever decided and I, personally am disgusted with how you treated such a complex character.

 

My personal favorite insult that you threw at me through this portrayal is the fact that he didn’t get a redemption arc, but his neglectful/abusive parents did. Because toxic and harmful parenting always deserves a pass!

* * *

 

### Allura

My disgust over how you treated Lotor pales in comparison to how you treated Allura. From day one, you’ve stripped off more and more of her agency and that is what I will always remember. I won’t remember Allura learning to co-exist with the paladins, I won’t remember Allura leading them in the lions, or how she lead the Voltron coalition.

 

You know what I _will_ remember? I will remember how she, as a disservice to her character, rebounded to Lance after Lotor was mishandled, I will remember how her agency to decide not to continue in that relationship was lost because her own FATHER gave Lance his “blessing” (which is creepy in it’s own right, considering that it’s not the friendliest of moments). You managed to take a black princess who unknowingly survived a genocide with only one person she trusts who now has to at the very least survive on her own and ruin her sense of self-worth and strip multiple decisions away from her. And that’s before having her literally sacrifice herself for the greater good, ignoring the fact that you had a robot full of quintessence next to her that was, from episode 1, set up to be the reason why the good guys win and the world is safe (hint: It’s not the Sinclaine or the Atlas).

 

I hope you’re happy with what you’ve done because then at least someone will be.

* * *

 

### Romelle

Romelle is a character that is around to (horribly) discredit another character. When she does so, that’s it. No more depth to her character, no investigation on the Altean colony (we literally don’t see another living Altean which makes no sense), and she is basically an extra stuck in the limelight of the main characters.

 

This part is short, not because there’s not many problems with Romelle, but because there’s not that much I can say about Romelle.

 

It’s odd and not good. If you keep a character in the audience’s perspective, that character should have a reason to be there. There’s a reason we all thought that Romelle was evil, or could have even been Haggar, and that was because of how bland she was. Now that we all know she’s just there, that’s disappointing and again, wasted potential. I’m starting to notice a pattern of what gets wasted and it’s not the trash.

* * *

 

### Shiro

You all did Takashi Shirogane horribly. He was treated with nothing but the worst of the show and never got one break, which is something that I honestly should have taken into account when I started trying to watch this show, as I felt uncomfortable with how he was being treated.

 

When I found out that for the longest time, he was actually, canonically dead, I wanted to stop watching the show right then and there. To find out that the only reason he gets to come back to life is because he sold toys made me sick to my stomach.

 

And when he was revealed as gay, I was happy that there would be some representation, especially in a non-white interracial relationship. I was prepared for a reunion with Adam, a dark-skinned queer man who loved Takashi and be a visible and memorable character.

 

Adam was memorable alright. Anyone can be memorable when they’re used in a harmful trope and literally exploded on screen for no impact. Bonus points when their ex-fiance, someone who still has many feelings for them, isn’t allowed to grieve and cope on camera, and by and large brushes over their death.

 

Many other queer fans and I are still reeling from that sucker punch to our guts and the spit on our faces.

 

But in all honesty, you treated Shiro horribly. He was the worst victim of the torture porn in Voltron, and considering that he was literally one half of the confirmed, explicit LGBT+ rep makes this even more uncomfortably clear. The fact that he was dead for a good portion of the show makes your apparent attitude towards LGBT+ people uncomfortably clear. The fact that he’s still in the show for you to profit off of makes your thoughts on LGBT+ identities in society uncomfortably clear.

 

Especially when you shoehorned in the _first_ gay male wedding and kiss animated for a kids how. How dare you take a historic moment and tarnish it because you don’t know how to write a decent storyline.

 

As a black gay guy, the way that Shiro was treated made me uncomfortably clear what you thought I deserved in media, and maybe even in society, considering that you can never fully remove art from the people who make it and the society it’s from.

* * *

 

### Hunk

If I had a dollar for everytime some character development for Hunk was replaced for a fat joke, I certainly would be writing this letter on a newer laptop. Hunk is a victim of off-screen development, where it’s said that he’s a good diplomat, but it’s never shown.

 

Hunk knows how to cook, and he knows that bonding through food and culture is one of the best ways to make a positive relationship for him. Show him building his diplomatic skills through cooking, making small offers to ease himself into a seat at the table, how he secures trade in between hostile planets, how he stumbles a bit at the beginning, but he grows more comfortable and self-assured. Show his talents extended to stopping in group fights, calming down hot headed personalities, making sure that everyone is fine and comfortable.

 

Don’t just tell me and expect me to go with it.

* * *

 

### Pidge

Pidge is a victim of too much screen time and too much emphasis. It’s the reason why people loved Cat and Jade from _Victorious_ but not everyone could stomach Tori. The fact that Pidge had so much time focused on finding her family and mourning over her brother’s and her hijacked robot’s death (when he’s not even dead and she had the robot for a week at most) and characters like Shiro had not even 15 seconds to mourn over their dead fiance ruins the community’s perspective of her character.

 

The fact that her entire family, including her dog, is still alive and well, when everyone else lost loved ones, family members, and close friends and coworkers ruins the community’s perspective of her character.

 

Her consistent lack of emotional knowledge and willingness to insult everyone, with no growth or maturity ruins the community’s perspective of her character.

 

Pidge was a character that had the potential to grow and understand the world around her through more than logic and programming. Pidge had the potential to mimic nature for her technological designs, which is something that is teased on when the team goes to Olkarion. Where is that potential? Where did it go Ms.Montgomery? She is your favorite character after all, and watching your favorite character grow throughout the series is one of the best feelings to have.

* * *

 

### Keith

Keith is a leader who got his ability to lead off-screen. The transition from Shiro to Keith falls flat because we're used to seeing Keith be a hothead, someone who runs into firefights and doesn't think in the long term.

 

In short, Keith could play a game of checkers and lose a game of chess.

 

When Keith is separated from the team, the writing hits the two main flaws that plague this story: an inability to pace itself and its willingness to add new characters and not expand on their importance and relationships with other characters.

 

The amount of time skips, the amount of off-screen growth that Keith was apparently given is a disservice to hi character. Krolia and his father not being explored, not having much screen time to really drive home whatever point they were supposed to bring (considering that we don't even know his dad's name) is a disservice to the people around him.

 

And I'm not even bringing up how the Blade arc was essentially filler and that there were multiple dropped plot points around Keith that would have made his transfer to leadership more natural.

* * *

 

Now, the writing is a problem, and it’s probably the biggest one. Even the best PR and community involvement and management can’t save you when your writing is so hellish even Satan would reject it.

 

Sadly, the community interaction was also trash, with overarching themes of queerbaiting, general lies, and unnecessary deflections of information that was never plot-important.

 

First, the unnecessary deflections: It says something that at the end of 8 seasons, with the plot over, and all of the conferences outside of the show, I (and many other fans, about 100% of us!) still don’t know Keith, Lance, or Hunk’s canon last name. What is the reason for that Ms.Montgomery? Mr. Dos Santos? Why could we not know a simple fact about three main characters? Why couldn’t we have even gotten a hint if the community last names (Kogane, McClain, and Garrett, respectively, just in case you didn’t know) were right? There are many other examples, but this one is so prominent, especially considering that not only do the other two original paladins have last names, but so does Coran, the MFE pilots (who are secondary characters), and Commander Iverson has a whole name (because you know, he’s named after one of the writers).

 

Why did you lie about Adam having a big part to play? You knew that he would have less than 5 minutes of screentime in total, and that he would die. What caused you to lie to people’s faces? What caused some of the VA’s to say that Adam would be in season 8? What caused you to string along most of the community with Klance, saying vague statements instead of just being honest about you having no plan to make it explicitly canon? Why did one of the VA’s try to play off Pidge as good trans rep when she revealed hat she was a girl who was pretending to be a guy to learn more about her family?

 

If it was to keep audience interest: that’s a bad reason. If it was to sell merch: that’s a bad reason. To lie to your fans, to the community that trusts and supports you to keep on making the art, is wrong on many accounts, especially because of the abuse of trust for a quick gain.

 

I hope you learn from this, I really do. Because Voltron could’ve been better than this. My Twitter timeline could’ve been full of happy people, slightly sad that the story ended, but glad it was in a fun and realistic way.

 

Today, the day of the release of season 8, made so many people feel horrible because hey realize they’ve been strung along. This day made so many people angry because the writing was sub-par. This day made people upset because of the messages you may not have realized you were sending with some of your choices. And if you take nothing else from this letter, please take this paragraph to heart. Your art does not exist in a vacuum. Other people see it, and have their reaction to it. If you write bad stories with horrible tropes, the response isn’t positive. If you write great stories with good characters, the response and the community built around it can grow into its own family.

 

Please remember this when you work on your next projects.

 

Sincerely,

Mercury

 

 

P.S. At the time of writing this part (Sunday, December 16th) it has come to the community’s attention that not only are you two, Ms.Montgomery and Mr.Dos Santos, quite possibly the most toxic people to work with, but that you threw out the skeleton that got approved for your show and that you wrote everything I took as a lack of awareness or lazy writing earlier in this essay on purpose.

 

That is unacceptable, unprofessional, and disgusting.

 

It’s unacceptable that you not only made your “valid LGBT rep” LGBT as a whim, and then killed his fiance, shoehorning in the _first_ _gay wedding and kiss_ to try to do damage control. It’s unacceptable that he was the torture porn for the series. It’s unacceptable that he never got to grieve for his dead fiance, and it’s definitely unacceptable that you did this to avoid fears of the community rightfully calling you out for queerbaiting them for 8 seasons and 2 and a half years.

 

It’s unprofessional that you never made an attempt to get the writers to work together when they write different episodes. The excuse of “we had different writers!” falls flat when other shows (which I won’t mention because they don’t deserve to have their names printed anywhere close to your trash show and storyline) have done the same and produced works of art with beautiful, complete, and coherent storylines. It’s unprofessional that you threw out the **_approved material and framework for your show,_ **because:

 

  1. You got angry about the fans asking questions about if there was actually any queer content (because you knew there wasn’t any, and that you were leading them on).



     2. You didn’t want to write characters growing and learning how to thrive in the world that they were in, you didn’t want to write about how they become better people and how they build relationships, because Ms.Montgomery reportedly liked fight scenes and Mr.Dos Santos wanted to write “darker things”.

and 3. You wanted to spite the fans. You wanted to spite the people who were telling you to denounce a pedophilic and borderline incestual ship. You wanted to spite the community that was built up around a character that lacked in self-confidence and never saw himself as useful with no contradictions from anyone around him, from his closest friends.

It’s disgusting that you’re getting praise for all of this, because you truly don’t deserve it.

 

You don’t deserve praise for being nasty to your coworkers, you don’t deserve praise for throwing out a cohesive story to write garbage, you don’t deserve praise for wanting to spite the community that rallied around Voltron because they had a few questions about the plot and the content.

 

You don’t deserve praise for reducing your only Latinx character into a farmer after putting him through so much emotional and mental abuse.

 

You don’t deserve praise for having your only black female character be tossed around like a bad protagonist in a dating simulator, tripped of her agency, and have her sacrifice herself when many other options made more sense to ending the conflict.

 

You don’t deserve praise for having an abuse victim be demonized for something that wasn’t his fault, to be compared to and called like his abusers, to die a slow and painful death, and for his corpse to be used like a puppet, keeping him still in the control of his abuser even in death.

 

You don’t deserve praise for your LGBT and queer content that was full of harmful tropes and stereotypes. You don’t deserve praise for your band aid solutions to cover it. You don’t deserve praise for how you treated this show, it’s characters, and it’s community.

 

In the letter, I said I hope you learn from this when you start your next project, but after hearing what happened at Dreamworks’ Studios, I hope you never step foot in a media studio again. If you are this unprofessional and uncaring about your community, I hope all of the employers out there google “Voltron Legendary Defender” and see this. I hope they see what you made and how you made it. I hope they see you took a show you made and crashed it into the ground just to spite the people who would’ve given you money off of royalties and merch. I hope the community remembers this and gives out friendly reminders to studios just so they have a heads up on you two whenever they’re looking for talent (something that you two clearly lack, if your response to criticism ruined a whole show).

 

And finally, I still do hope you learn from this. Be better people, learn how to interact with the world in a more positive way. Because all of this? Is not how you keep a job, a career, anny sort of trust between you and the general public.

 

I hope you see this letter, and all of the backlash you have rightfully received as a sign to do better.

**Author's Note:**

> I'll begin and end this the same way: I am not attacking or threatening anyone involved in this show, nor do I want anyone to use this letter as a way to justify attacking or threatening people over this show.
> 
> If you disagree with any of my points, my twitter is @mercurialcomet. I will only take serious and mature discussions about this.


End file.
